Written Answers Wednesday 1 April 2009

Scottish Executive

Fertility Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research and modelling has been undertaken to evaluate the impact and resource implications of changes to waiting list management for fertility services.

Nicola Sturgeon: Access to infertility services has not historically been included in waiting time targets because there were concerns about breaching patient confidentiality. However, we are aware of disparities in waiting times and access criteria and wrote to NHS boards recently asking for information on implementation of the 2007 updated criteria, and we are currently considering how best to ensure equity of access across Scotland.

  We know that individual NHS boards have invested in this service to reduce waiting times in their area.

Fuel Poverty

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19946 by Stewart Maxwell on 27 January 2009, what progress has been made on finalising the allocation of resources for the different elements of the Energy Assistance Package.

Alex Neil: We held a stakeholder event for 120 delegates in Glasgow on 27 February 2009 to outline the new package and seek views on its shape and implementation. I addressed that event and outlined that the Energy Assistance Package (EAP) will be backed by a package of support worth over £60 million in 2009-10. The package will operate in a seamless manner for the consumer and provide us with the flexibility we need to meet fuel poverty and wider poverty, climate change and energy objectives.

  An additional £3.6 million will be added to the current £3.9 million for running the Energy Savings Scotland Advice Centre (ESSac) network. The income maximisation checks will be funded from the £2.5 million tackling poverty budget. £2.5 million will be provided to local authorities and registered social landlords to fund social sector Stage 3 measures and private sector stage 3 measures will be funded through the energy companies’ CERT programmes. £3.5 million of funding for the Scottish Communities and Households Renewables Initiative will contribute towards air source heat pumps at stage 4, and a further £44.5 million will be available for delivering the remaining stage 4 measures, including completing those applied for under the central heating and warm deal programmes prior to 6 April 2009.

Fuel Poverty

Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many leaflets have been distributed explaining the Energy Assistance Package.

Alex Neil: The package was launched by ministers on 30 March 2009, and will be open for applications, mainly over the telephone, from 6 April 2009 on the freephone number 0800 512012. Information about the package is being distributed to a range of stakeholders dealing with likely clients, such as advice and voluntary sector support agencies; 10,000 leaflets have been prepared for this purpose. Further bespoke marketing will be developed during the coming months as required depending on the response of potential client groups.

Housing

Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to reduce incidences of antisocial behaviour among tenants in short-term or holiday lets.

Fergus Ewing: Local agencies are using existing measures in the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 to reduce antisocial behaviour across all tenures, including among tenants in short-term or holidays lets. In line with our new framework – Promoting Positive Outcomes: Working Together to Prevent Antisocial Behaviour in Scotland (Bib. number 47915) – such action should be proportionate, appropriate and timely and local action should focus on preventing antisocial behaviour occurring in the first place.

Housing

Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives it provides to encourage private landlords to let their properties for long-term lets instead of holiday lets.

Alex Neil: The Scottish Government recognises the important role that private landlords play in providing accommodation to meet a wide range of demands, including both long-term lets and holiday accommodation.

  The Scottish Government wants to encourage the increased supply of good quality long-term accommodation in the private rented sector, to meet a range of housing needs. Our Review of the Private Rented Sector sets out ways in which this can be done. For example, it may be that local authorities want to engage with private landlords in their area, in order to increase the supply of long-term accommodation. The Review of the Private Rented Sector includes a good practice resource pack for local authorities who want to work with private landlords. It also includes a study of methods of bringing empty houses into use as privately rented accommodation, which is designed to assist local authorities.

Housing

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether holiday lets are liable for council tax and business rates.

Alex Neil: Properties which are made available for letting on a commercial basis for 140 days or more in a year (or where the intention is to make them available) may be liable for business rates and if not, they will be liable for council tax.

Justice

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when legislation will be introduced to address the consequences of the Somerville judgement by establishing a one-year time bar for bringing human rights claims against the Scottish Ministers under the Scotland Act 1998.

Kenny MacAskill: The First Minister told the Parliament on 19 March 2009 that the UK Government and the Scottish Government had reached agreement in principle on a solution to the anomaly exposed by the House of Lords judgment on Somerville, in terms of which the two governments committed themselves to working together to deliver a one-year time bar in Scotland by the summer. That solution was to be the making of an order under the Scotland Act that would allow the Scottish Parliament to introduce the time bar, followed by urgent legislation in the Scottish Parliament. It was also agreed that the UK Government will subsequently seek the support of the UK Parliament to bring forward a comprehensive solution extending the same protection to the devolved administrations of Wales and Northern Ireland, so putting all the devolved Administrations on a consistent footing.

  The Scottish and UK Governments have subsequently worked closely together to agree the terms of the Order to be made under the Scotland Act. In terms of the act, that Order will require to be approved by both the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments before being made by the Privy Council. A draft of that Order has therefore been laid before the Parliament today, 1 April 2009, for its consideration and approval. The draft Order has similarly been laid before the Westminster Parliament.

  The intention is that, subject to the approval of both Parliaments, the Order will enable a Bill to be introduced in the Scottish Parliament in June to bring in a one-year time bar for new cases raised on or after 31 July 2009. The precise terms of that Bill are still under discussion between the Scottish and UK Governments - both governments remain committed to the aim of having that legislation in place before the beginning of the Scottish Parliament’s summer recess.

Less Favoured Areas

Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19776 by Richard Lochhead on 28 January 2009, what steps it has taken since 28 January 2009 to ensure that the next round of Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) payments and single farm payments can both be made in 2009.

Richard Lochhead: In my answer to question S3W-19776, and in previous correspondence with the Member, I said that officials were already looking carefully at the payment positions for the 2009 Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS), and the 2009 Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFPS).

  My officials will continue to examine the feasibility of combining LFASS and SFPS payments in the longer term; making those payments in parallel; or starting the 2009 LFASS payments in December, after the bulk of the SFPS payments have been made. However, I continue to support the view that early delivery of our SFPS payments must continue to take absolute priority, not least because that is where the bulk of the money lies and how we deliver the greatest amount of benefit to our farmers and crofters. Any move from that basic assumption would have major consequences for both SFPS and the wider SRDP delivery work as well. No solution has yet been identified to enable the combination of LFASS and SFPS this year or for them to be paid in parallel. However, we would aim to at least match our 2008 LFASS payment performance, which itself was an improvement over the 2007 scheme. For the 2007 LFASS, payments began to appear in bank accounts on 11 February 2008, and by 20 March, 95% of eligible applicants had been paid. New entrants waited until May 2008 before receiving payments.

  By comparison, the 2008 LFASS payments started on 16 January this year, immediately after the EU Regulatory requirements had been met. By 31 January, almost 90% of eligible applicants had been paid, and by 23 March, this increased to around 95% of eligible applicants. Furthermore, eligible new entrants started receiving payment on 6 March, more than two months ahead of last year. These payments continue to roll out.

  As for the SFPS, EU Regulations do not permit payments to be made before 1 December each year and, like LFASS, only then if we have verified that all eligibility requirements have been met. Our strategy for 2009 is to gear up to deliver the highest possible value of SFPS payments from the earliest date permissible.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its plans are to maintain, increase or reduce support for farmers and crofters with the costs of dealing with fallen stock.

Richard Lochhead: Ministers are considering representations from industry on issues relating to the collection and disposal of fallen sheep in Scotland.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what derogations are in place for farmers and crofters from the normal rules of dealing with fallen stock to recognise the geographic difficulties of dealing with such stock other than on a very localised basis.

Richard Lochhead: The Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003 apply a derogation to permit the continued routine on-farm disposal of fallen stock in remote areas. In Scotland, the designated remote area covers the majority of the Highlands and Islands and Argyllshire. Scottish Government guidance to enforcement authorities in the remote area states that routine burial should only be resorted to where an economic collection service or other approved disposal route, such as an incinerator, is not available.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to extend any derogations from the normal rules of dealing with fallen stock to recognise the challenges of geography.

Richard Lochhead: There are no plans to extend the remote area designated in the Animal By-Products (Scotland) Regulations 2003. However, the European Commission is in the process of reviewing the EU Animal By-Products Regulation 1774/2002 and a number of proposals are under consideration.

Livestock

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Island of Skye is regarded as an island for the purposes of considering the application of rules applying to the handling and disposal of fallen stock.

Richard Lochhead: Whether a particular area is an island is not of itself relevant to the application of rules relating to the handling of fallen stock. When the designated remote area was drawn up in 2003, Skye was included in that area on the basis of low stocking density and distance from a disposal facility. When the rules on handling adult fallen cattle, which are required to be sampled for BSE surveillance purposes, changed in January 2009, Scottish Government took up a similar, but not identical, derogation in the EU TSE Regulation to suspend BSE surveillance in remote areas. However, the rules are quite clear that this cannot be applied in an area where a commercial collection service is in place. As such a service is available on Skye the exemption cannot be applied. However, there is no collection service on the smaller islands off Skye, such as Raasay, and so they are exempt for BSE surveillance purposes.

Local Income Tax

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it calculated revenue projections for its proposed local income tax at rates other than 3p in the pound and, if so, what the projections are.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11006 on 26 March 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

Rail Services

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has proposals to ensure that regulations (a) restricting noise from rail traffic currently applicable in England and Wales should apply to Scotland and (b) should be brought in to ensure that there are restrictions on levels of vibration associated with rail traffic.

Stewart Stevenson: The Technical Specification for Interoperability (TSI) Noise promoted by the European Union, establishes limits for pass-by noise. These standards were implemented in the UK, including Scotland, in 2006.

  In England and Wales air-borne noise which derives from new or altered railways is covered by the Noise Insulation (Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems) Regulations which came into force in 1996. This does not cover ground-borne vibration.

  Transport Scotland are examining whether worthwhile benefits would be provided by further regulation as the TSI is now applicable.

Research and Development

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it uses research findings from universities that have experimented on live animals.

Shona Robison: Government needs to have the best available evidence possible upon which to base all of its policy, statutory and regulatory activities. In some instances this may involve the results from experiments on live animals conducted in universities. In the case of novel pharmaceutical products, legislation requires that all must be tested on animals prior to being tested in clinical trials and ultimately obtaining a marketing authorisation for use in man. All research organisations, including universities, are required to comply with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which requires that animals used in research must be treated with care and respect. This is a reserved area of legislation.

Rural Development

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much grant funding has been distributed under the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 Rural Priorities, broken down by priorities, and what proportion has been allocated to chalet and holiday home developments.

Richard Lochhead: Figures for the total funding distributed under the Rural Priorities scheme of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) are published on the Rural Priorities website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/SRDP/RuralPriorities/RuralPrioritiesStats.

  This includes a breakdown of the funding awarded under each of the regional priorities. The statistics will be updated in the near future to take account of the funding approved at the February Rural Priorities assessment round. The results of the February round will be announced shortly.

  With regard to funding approved for chalet and holiday home developments, the figure for the first three assessment rounds in 2008 is £2.8 million.

Scottish Centre for Financial Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding the Scottish Centre for Financial Education received from it and the Financial Services Authority in 2007-08 and has received in 2008-09.

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding the Scottish Centre for Financial Education received from its sponsoring agencies, including Clydesdale Bank, the Financial Services Authority, Prudential, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Standard Life and Stirling Park, in 2007-08 and has received in 2008-09, broken down by individual payment.

Keith Brown: Details of funding received by the Scottish Centre for Financial Education in 2007-08 and 2008-09 are set out in the following table:

  

 Funding Received / Planned:
2007-08 £
2008-09 £


 Scottish Government
 50,000
 50,000


 Director Core Funding (Scottish Government)
 -
 55,000


 Administration Core Funded (Scottish Government)
 -
 20,000


 Bòrd na Gàidhlig (Scottish Government)
 -
 20,000


 Royal Bank of Scotland
 10,000
 10,000


 Financial Services Authority
 110,000
 200,000


 Stirling Park
 9,000
 9,000


 Prudential
 10,000
 15,000


 Scottish Book Trust/Standard Life
 11,741
 -


 Stewart Ivory Foundation
 10,000
 -


 Clydesdale Bank
 -
 5,000

Scottish Centre for Financial Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what institutions comprise the Scottish Centre for Financial Education.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Centre for Financial Education (SCFE) is part of Learning and Teaching Scotland. Its remit is to assist local authorities, schools and teachers to provide high quality financial education for all young people. The SCFE works strategically with its Management Group. The organisations represented on this group are:

  -Edinburgh’s Telford College

  -Financial Services Authority

  -HM Inspectorate of Education

  -Royal Bank of Scotland

  -Scottish Government

  -Stewart Ivory Foundation.

Scottish Centre for Financial Education

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what institutions comprise the Scottish Centre for Financial Education (SCFE) Advisory Group and what institutions were represented at the Financial Education Conference 2008, organised by SCFE, in December 2008.

Keith Brown: The remit of the Scottish Centre for Financial Education Advisory Group is to share information and good practice with a wide range of organisations in the financial sector and elsewhere.

  Organisations Represented on the Scottish Centre for Financial Education Advisory Group

  

 Financial Services Authority
 Office of Fair Trading


 Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland
 Scottish Parent Teacher Council


 Prudential
 Financial Inclusion Team, Dundee City Council


 Financial Education Partnership
 Careers Scotland


 Standard Life
 Enterprising Careers Centre, University of Strathclyde


 Money Advice Scotland
 St Andrew’s High School, Clydebank


 Notre Dame High School, Glasgow
 Port Glasgow High School


 Standard Life
 Scottish Government


 Development and Regeneration Services, Glasgow City Council
 Personal Finance Education Group (pfeg), London


 Young Scot
 Cambusbarron Primary School


 Cartvale School, Glasgow
 Young Enterprise Scotland


 Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland
 All Saints Secondary School, Glasgow


 Museum on the Mound, Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Banking Group
 St Mungo’s Academy Glasgow


 Kelso High School
 The Royal Bank of Scotland


 Clydesdale Bank
 Stirling Park



  The institutions represented at the financial education conference in December 2008 are set out in the following table:

  

 Abercorn School 
 Aberdeen City Council


 Aegon
 All Saints Secondary School


 Alloa Academy
 Alva Academy


 Alves Primary School, Elgin
 Angus Council


 Association of Scotland’s Colleges
 Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce


 Bannerman High School
 Beeslack High School, Penicuik


 Bell Baxter High School, Cupar
 Brechin High School


 Broughton High School, Edinburgh
 Calderglen High School, East Kilbride


 Cambusbarron Primary School,Stirling
 Carnoustie High School


 Cartvale School, Glasgow
 Catrine Nursery School


 CCEA, Northern Ireland 
 Charleston Academy, Inverness


 Charleston School, Aberdeen
 Clackmannanshire Council


 Class Connections, Culture and Sport, Glasgow
 Clydesdale Bank, National Australia Bank Group


 Dreghorn Primary School 
 Duncanrig Secondary School, East Kilbride


 Dundee City Council
 Dundonald Primary School


 East Ayrshire Council 
 East Dunbartonshire Council 


 East Lothian Council 
 East Renfrewshire Council


 Edinburgh’s Telford College
 Education Assessment Unit, Polmont


 Falkirk Council
 Falkirk High School


 Fife Council Education Service 
 Financial Services Authority 


 Firrhill High School, Edinburgh
 Garnock Academy


 Gateside Primary School, Beith
 Glasgow City Council 


 Glencoats Primary School, Paisley
 Gourock High School


 Graeme High School, Falkirk
 Greenwood Academy, Dreghorn


 Halifax Bank of Scotland 
 Hill of Beath Primary School, Cowdenbeath


 HM Inspectorate of Education
 Holyrood Communications


 Inchinnan Primary School
 Interactive Learning


 Inverclyde Council
 Keith Grammar School


 Kilmarnock Academy
 Kinneil Primary School, Bo’ness


 Kinross High School
 Knightswood Secondary, Glasgow


 Knowepark Primary School, Selkirk
 Lauder Primary School


 Lawthorn Primary School, Irvine
 Learning and Teaching Scotland 


 Loretto School, Musselburgh
 Making Money Work Project, Dundee 


 Maureen Finn Associates
 Midlothian Council


 Millersneuk Primary School, Lenzie
 Moore House Care and Education


 Mossneuk Primary School, East Kilbride
 Musselburgh Grammar School


 Newark Nursery School, Port Glasgow
 NIACE


 North Berwick High School
 North Lanarkshire Council 


 Notre Dame High School
 Office of Fair Trading 


 Overton Primary School, Greenock
 Park Mains High School, Erskine


 Parkhead Primary School, West Calder
 Parkview School, Dundee 


 Peebles High School
 Personal Finance Education Group (pfeg) 


 Perth Academy
 Perth High School


 Pitlochry High School 
 Preston Lodge High School 


 Prudential Plc 
 Scottish Government


 Prudential UK and Europe
 Renfrewshire Council


 Save by the Bell Project, Dundee City Council
 Savings and Investment Team, HM Treasury 


 Scottish Borders Council
 Scottish Centre for Financial Education, LT Scotland 


 Scottish Financial Inclusion Services
 Scottish Parent Teacher Council


 Scottish Qualifications Authority 
 Scottish Widows


 Selkirk High School
 South Lanarkshire Council


 St Andrew’s High School, Clydebank 
 St Andrew’s Primary School, Bearsden 


 St George’s School, Edinburgh 
 St Luke’s Primary School, Mayfield


 St Mary’s Primary School, Duntocher
 St Mungo’s Academy, Glasgow


 St Mungo’s High School, Falkirk
 St Paul’s Primary School, Glenrothes


 Standard Life 
 Stewart Ivory 


 Street Child Africa
 Sunnyside Primary School, Alloa


 TAG Theatre Company
 The Moray Council 


 The Royal Bank of Scotland 
 Trinity High School, Renfrew


 University of Glasgow 
 University of Strathclyde


 Wellhouse Primary School, Glasgow
 Welsh Financial Education Unit


 West Dunbartonshire Council 
 Westruther Primary School, Gordon


 Williamwood High School, Clarkston
 Windygoul Primary School, Tranent


 Woodburn Primary School, Dalkeith
 Woodfarm High School, Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire


 Young Scot

Sport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many referrals sportscotland made to ministers upholding objections to development on playing fields and in how many cases the objections were upheld in each year since 1999.

Shona Robison: Sportscotland has no powers to notify planning applications to Scottish ministers. Where sportscotland lodges and maintains an objection it is the responsibility of the planning authority, if minded to grant planning consent, to decide whether the planning application requires to be notified to Scottish ministers. However, the following represents the number of planning applications notified by planning authorities since 1999:

  

 Year
 Cases Referred to Scottish Ministers due to Sportscotland Objections
 Cases Called in by Scottish Ministers for Determination


 1999-2000
 1
 1


 2000-01
 2
 1


 2001-02
 0
 0


 2002-03
 4
 1


 2003-04
 2
 0


 2004-05
 2
 1


 2005-06
 3
 1


 2006-07
 0
 0


 2007-08
 2
 1


 2008-09
 2
 0